3Com: New WLAN Access Points

3Com last week rounded out its wireless LAN line by introducing two new access points: one aimed at the SMB market and the other targeted at enterprise customers.

The new 802.11b-based WLAN access points, unveiled at the networking hardware vendor's partner conference here, address both the low and high ends of the market, said Gilles Ganault, wireless product manager at 3Com.

The 802.11b-based AP 2000 is targeted at cost-sensitive customers that aren't seeking the enhanced security features of the AP 8000, Ganault said. The AP 2000 supports 40-bit WEP and 128-bit shared key encryption.

Steve Marks, president of Westlake Village, Calif.-based Starnet Data Design, said the AP 8000 is the kind of solution he's looking for.

"Our interest is in solutions where we can provide value-add," he said. "The lower-end wireless products don't leave much room for that."

The security features in the AP 8000 will help sell enterprise customers on WLAN technology, said Tim McNicoll, systems consultant at Heartland Business Systems, Little Chute, Wis. "The market is demanding the security features," he said. "The enterprise accounts won't roll out with wireless until the security is there."

When it comes to wireless LAN deployments, "security is the biggest concern among our clients," said Chris Hobbs, vice president of sales and marketing at Network Cabling and Technologies, a Memphis, Tenn.-based solution provider. With the built-in security features, the AP 8000 is "more in line with what our customers want," Hobbs added.

List-priced at $229, the AP 2000 is slated to be available at the end of this month. The AP 8000, scheduled to be available in mid-February, lists for $899.